The Community Decorators project has been providing a decorating service and apprenticeships in the Sunderland area since 2006. They provide training and qualifications in painting and decorating to apprentices from the local community, allowing them to gain valuable job skills and experience. The apprentices carry out decorating jobs for community groups and vulnerable people while learning various decorating techniques and getting qualifications in areas like health and safety.

1. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• The CommunityThe Community
Decorating projectDecorating project
has been active inhas been active in
the Hendon andthe Hendon and
East End areas ofEast End areas of
Sunderland sinceSunderland since
May 2006.May 2006.

2. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• The project providesThe project provides
a high quality, lowa high quality, low
cost decoratingcost decorating
service to communityservice to community
and voluntaryand voluntary
organizations as wellorganizations as well
as vulnerable groupsas vulnerable groups
such as elderly andsuch as elderly and
disabled.disabled.

3. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• Under supervision ,Under supervision ,
the apprentices ( allthe apprentices ( all
from the East Endfrom the East End
and Hendon area )and Hendon area )
carry out all aspectscarry out all aspects
of decorating work ,of decorating work ,
allowing them to gainallowing them to gain
valuable experience ,valuable experience ,
training andtraining and
qualifications.qualifications.

4. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• The apprentices achieveThe apprentices achieve
level 2 NVQ Painting andlevel 2 NVQ Painting and
Decorating which requiresDecorating which requires
evidence from work basedevidence from work based
learning and on sitelearning and on site
assessments. They alsoassessments. They also
achieve literacy andachieve literacy and
numeracy qualifications ,numeracy qualifications ,
Intermediate ConstructionIntermediate Construction
award or Level 2 Paintingaward or Level 2 Painting
and Decorating Diploma ,and Decorating Diploma ,
and a CSCS card which isand a CSCS card which is
mandatory for mostmandatory for most
employers.employers.

5. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• All aspects of theAll aspects of the
trade are covered ,trade are covered ,
from preparing thefrom preparing the
walls and woodworkwalls and woodwork
to hanging paper andto hanging paper and
applying paint.applying paint.

6. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• Both interior andBoth interior and
exterior decorating isexterior decorating is
carried out to providecarried out to provide
the apprentices with athe apprentices with a
full range of work . Onfull range of work . On
occasions we’ve beenoccasions we’ve been
asked to do someasked to do some
sign writing .sign writing .

7. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• Due to the growingDue to the growing
reputation and thereputation and the
increased skill levelsincreased skill levels
of the apprentices ,of the apprentices ,
we were asked towe were asked to
tender for bigger andtender for bigger and
more commercialmore commercial
jobs.jobs.

8. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• These jobs are anThese jobs are an
excellent training andexcellent training and
team buildingteam building
opportunity and on aopportunity and on a
recent ofsteadrecent ofstead
inspection , receivedinspection , received
‘excellent’ reports.‘excellent’ reports.

9. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• St Thomas’ churchSt Thomas’ church
was another greatwas another great
training opportunitytraining opportunity
and chance for theand chance for the
apprentices to showapprentices to show
off their skills.off their skills.

10. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• They are shown theThey are shown the
different types ofdifferent types of
ladders and theirladders and their
uses, and the Healthuses, and the Health
and Safety aspectsand Safety aspects
such as correctsuch as correct
angles and heightangles and height
work.work.

11. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• Also in unit VR250 ,Also in unit VR250 ,
they are trained tothey are trained to
erect and dismantle aerect and dismantle a
tower scaffold, andtower scaffold, and
the Health and Safetythe Health and Safety
issues surroundingissues surrounding
the equipment.the equipment.

12. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• Each apprentice hasEach apprentice has
to demonstrateto demonstrate
his/her competencehis/her competence
erecting anderecting and
dismantling the tower.dismantling the tower.

13. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• The accessThe access
equipment has beenequipment has been
used on jobs atused on jobs at
Chance communityChance community
centre , St Thomascentre , St Thomas
church, Pennywellchurch, Pennywell
and other propertiesand other properties
as required.as required.

14. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
Additional training hasAdditional training has
also been provided toalso been provided to
give the apprenticesgive the apprentices
more employabilitymore employability
skills.skills.

15. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• Prior to thePrior to the
introduction of theintroduction of the
construction diploma ,construction diploma ,
spray painting hasspray painting has
been an optional unitbeen an optional unit
in the NVQ curriculumin the NVQ curriculum
for a number of yearsfor a number of years
, so experienced, so experienced
sprayers are hard tosprayers are hard to
find.find.

16. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• Due to the cost of theDue to the cost of the
equipment it isequipment it is
essential theessential the
apprentices areapprentices are
trained to clean andtrained to clean and
maintain it.maintain it.

17. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• We recently tookWe recently took
some of thesome of the
apprentices to theapprentices to the
National Painting andNational Painting and
Decorating exhibitionDecorating exhibition
in Coventry.in Coventry.

18. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• This was a greatThis was a great
opportunity to keepopportunity to keep
up to date with newup to date with new
products andproducts and
developments anddevelopments and
there were plenty ofthere were plenty of
freebies on offer. ( anfreebies on offer. ( an
empty van wasempty van was
required ).required ).

19. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• I have also worked in theI have also worked in the
workshop delivering Adultworkshop delivering Adult
DIY classes and KeyDIY classes and Key
stage 4 school linkstage 4 school link
classes. I am anclasses. I am an
approved NVQ assessorapproved NVQ assessor
and hold TDLB level 3. Iand hold TDLB level 3. I
am currently using the Cam currently using the C
Skills e-portfolio SkillsfileSkills e-portfolio Skillsfile
system and I havesystem and I have
recently achieved the V1recently achieved the V1
award.award.

20. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• The project has also won aThe project has also won a
number of awards.number of awards.
Overcoming barriers toOvercoming barriers to
employment award, Groupemployment award, Group
achievement awards twoachievement awards two
years running, 2007 andyears running, 2007 and
2008, support worker2008, support worker
champion 2008, giving thechampion 2008, giving the
apprentices and instructorsapprentices and instructors
recognition for theirrecognition for their
achievements and theachievements and the
chance to meet some verychance to meet some very
interesting people.interesting people.

21. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• Community DecoratorCommunity Decorator
apprentices receivingapprentices receiving
awards and meetingawards and meeting
The Mayor ofThe Mayor of
Sunderland 2007.Sunderland 2007.

22. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• Paul Hutchinson andPaul Hutchinson and
Alan ChristieAlan Christie
receiving the awardreceiving the award
for Groupfor Group
achievement 2007 ,achievement 2007 ,
and Support Workerand Support Worker
Champion and GroupChampion and Group
achievement 2008.achievement 2008.

23. Community DecoratorsCommunity Decorators
• In 2010 we wereIn 2010 we were
nominated for annominated for an
award in The Nationalaward in The National
Training Awards. OnTraining Awards. On
21/9/10 we received21/9/10 we received
an award in thean award in the
Providing EducationProviding Education
and Training categoryand Training category
which I am very proudwhich I am very proud
of.of.